Fruit Trees & Citrus
Orange
Feed three times a year and keep the trunk clear of mulch.
Citrus sinensis · Fruit Trees & Citrus · Perennial
When to plant Orange in Australia
Sourced timing by broad climate zone. Zones with no sourced timing for an action are left out rather than estimated.
- Plant out seedlings
- Cool — Sep, Oct
- Temperate, Subtropical — Aug, Sep
Australian planting guide by climate zone
Sourced guidance by broad climate zone, shown as fixed months, timing relative to sowing or planting, or written growing advice. Your GrowCal calendar applies your regional growing profile, so its dates may sit earlier or later than the months below.
| Action | Cool | Temperate | Subtropical | Tropical | Arid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant out | Sep, OctDetailsIn areas where there can be late frosts, it is better to wait until mid-spring to plant. | Aug, SepDetailsIn most parts of Australia, planting in late winter or early spring gives your tree all of the coming warm season to put on as much growth as possible. | Aug, SepDetailsIn most parts of Australia, planting in late winter or early spring gives your tree all of the coming warm season to put on as much growth as possible. | Climate guidanceDetailsLemons, limes, mandarins and grapefruit are the citrus types grown in the tropical north; sweet oranges are not among them. Tropical heat keeps the skin green and softens the flavour, so oranges are a marginal choice this far north. | Climate guidanceDetailsIrrigated inland Australia is the country's main orange-growing country, and home trees do well there. Give a young tree reliable water and shelter it from frost in its first winters. |
| Feed | Mar, Sep, DecDetailsGive your new tree its first feed with something gentle such as organic pellets or blood and bone. Fertilise with a complete fruit tree food and water it in well. Keep the water up — water containerised trees daily during hot spells. Fertilise again with fruit tree food at half the December rate, and reduce watering as the weather cools. | Mar, Sep, DecDetailsGive your new tree its first feed with something gentle such as organic pellets or blood and bone. Fertilise with a complete fruit tree food and water it in well. Keep the water up — water containerised trees daily during hot spells. Fertilise again with fruit tree food at half the December rate, and reduce watering as the weather cools. | Mar, Sep, DecDetailsGive your new tree its first feed with something gentle such as organic pellets or blood and bone. Fertilise with a complete fruit tree food and water it in well. Keep the water up — water containerised trees daily during hot spells. Fertilise again with fruit tree food at half the December rate, and reduce watering as the weather cools. | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown |
| Prune | AprDetailsShape-prune lower branches. In cold-climate locations, move potted citrus to a warmer, wind-sheltered spot. | AprDetailsShape-prune lower branches. In cold-climate locations, move potted citrus to a warmer, wind-sheltered spot. | AprDetailsShape-prune lower branches. In cold-climate locations, move potted citrus to a warmer, wind-sheltered spot. | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown |
| Pest check | Jan, Feb, May, Jun, Jul, Oct, Nov, DecDetailsSquash dark-coloured citrus aphids on new growth and install citrus leafminer traps. Begin fortnightly applications of horticultural oil to deter citrus leafminer and stink bugs. Check for scale and replace leafminer traps in January. Spray the trunk with lime sulfur to control white louse scale and mites. Begin fortnightly applications of seaweed extract, especially in colder areas, and set up wind protection. Protect young trees from frost on cold nights by covering with frost cloth or netting. | Jan, Feb, Jul, Oct, Nov, DecDetailsSquash dark-coloured citrus aphids on new growth and install citrus leafminer traps. Begin fortnightly applications of horticultural oil to deter citrus leafminer and stink bugs. Check for scale and replace leafminer traps in January. Spray the trunk with lime sulfur to control white louse scale and mites. | Jan, Feb, Jul, Oct, Nov, DecDetailsSquash dark-coloured citrus aphids on new growth and install citrus leafminer traps. Begin fortnightly applications of horticultural oil to deter citrus leafminer and stink bugs. Check for scale and replace leafminer traps in January. Spray the trunk with lime sulfur to control white louse scale and mites. | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown |
| Harvest | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown |
Only sourced growing and timing guidance is shown.
Zone notes
- Tropical: Lemons, limes, mandarins and grapefruit are the citrus types grown in the tropical north; sweet oranges are not among them. Tropical heat keeps the skin green and softens the flavour, so oranges are a marginal choice this far north.
- Arid: Irrigated inland Australia is the country's main orange-growing country, and home trees do well there. Give a young tree reliable water and shelter it from frost in its first winters.
About this data
This schedule is part of GrowCal's preview horticultural dataset — useful as general guidance, and still being validated. Conditions vary with your soil, aspect, frost and variety. Read more on the data & methodology page, or send us a correction.
Related planting guides
Other plants in the GrowCal dataset, mostly from the same category.
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